The Journey Begins

I told Zizi what I had seen a few days earlier and how it had puzzled me because I couldn’t imagine what Mr. Porn had to offer Liselle being she already lived with the filthiest beast alive but now it makes sense. Liselle had arranged to get Taryn out of the picture so she could continue her ill fated love affair with Jago and I wondered if she would ever get it, that Jago was a spineless fool who would never leave his precious winery for her or anyone else. It’s not like Liselle couldn’t afford to buy Taryn out in a divorce, it was that he would be exchanging one compliant woman for one who would control him for spineless he might be but brainless he was not. Poor Jago, how was he going to keep Liselle at bay now that the barrier of Taryn was removed? I told Zizi that Jago would probably be in hot pursuit of them as he couldn’t afford to lose his wife cause it would mean being home alone with Tiah!

Zizi fell back into gales of laughter again and it took her about ten minutes before she stopped adding to the plot and although Tiah was her half sister she did manage to bring scorn upon herself with her spoiled tantrums. Finally Zizi wiped her eyes and asked me what was so urgent about Gervais this time leaving me to realise I had so many dramas with Gervais that they were starting to become old fast, because Gervais was always threatening me with something or another, I decided to tell Zizi my terrible news. There were several reasons why I chose to tell Zizi—the first being that she would understand having a father who never acknowledged her the second being she had brought up the subject of how to deal with Gervais. I remember when she brought it up we all thought she was joking and started planning certain scenarios for Gervais from having him locked in the loony bin to murdered by vampires and when I looked over at her face I had not seen the light hearted reflection of everyone else but the solemn expression of someone who was in earnest. I knew that Zizi would be the first and easiest recruit and this path was the inevitable future of someone faced with a lifetime of Dubois interference.

Her face went completely blank when I told her my news and instead of the huge ‘ewww’ and pity I had expected, she nodded as if life had suddenly made sense. She told me this explained so many things, from Liselle giving me the job, to the unnatural obsession of Gervais, he must have sensed there was something different about me. I told her that he had not known until a few days ago but she interrupted pointing out that Gervais had seen something subconscious in me, something familiar that he had responded to. I shuddered at the thought of having even the subconscious air of a Dubois about me but she was right, Gervais had seen something in me that had attracted him. She asked what his reaction had been, I told her that he was thrilled and wanted to throw me a party. She laughed despite herself and I had to laugh too for it was that or scream until the walls came down. She asked if I had any plans to join my macabre new family in their compound, I asked her to please stab me first and she grinned saying it was good this news hadn’t gone to my head. I threw a cushion at her which she deftly caught while asking what was my real reason was for asking her over and I told her in all seriousness that we had to get rid of Gervais.

Zizi wrinkled her nose and looked at me, her head tilted to one side like a pretty little bird watching something interesting. She asked me “Get rid of him how?” I replied “ Get rid of him forever that’s how.” Her face became blank as she realised what I meant and I could see her mind weighing our conversation, the implication, the truth, the action and the result. She shook her head saying I didn’t mean what I was saying, it was just the shock talking and I leaned forward and looked her straight in the eyes. I told her that my only prospect in life was to fend off Gervais who had made it his business to destroy everything and everyone I have ever loved for he would control whatever career, relationships, social standing and even my friends if it suited him.

He had made it clear that I was his new toy and this was a game that would last forever. As I described to her the type of plans Gervais had hinted to me, including a sexual liaison that even being a cousin would not deter, her eyes grew dark with determination. I told her I did not have to point out that the only reason she no longer had a contract was because Gervais wanted to punish me by punishing my friends. She pursed her mouth and for a second I was afraid she was going to blame me for what he had done for indirectly I had been responsible for him wanting to harm her. I told her he had stirred up trouble between Royce and Coco and was now going after Braith and Jazz and she rested her chin on her hands looking at me with a steady gaze, her ice blue eyes steely with resolve. I stopped babbling and sat there staring at the garden in despair for there was no escape from the black nightmare of my life, I was a Dubois, and this was a life sentence. After a minute she sat up again and poured herself another cup of tea. “We can’t do this alone”, was her reply and I knew the journey had started.

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